Data Privacy Week: January 22--28, 2023

It is no secret that the privacy of our data is becoming increasingly important. Scammers and hackers continue to get more sophisticated, as do businesses when it comes to mining us for information. We, as digital consumers, also are becoming increasingly at risk.

Given that, Data Privacy Day and Week are dates we should have on our calendar:

• Data Privacy Day: January 28, 2023
• Data Privacy Week: January 22-28, 2023

In 1981, an introductory, international treaty regarding data privacy and protection was formed. From there, a the internet and information grew, Data Protection Day was created on April 26, 2006 with the first observance seen to be January 28, 2007. In 2022, the one-day holiday grew to a week long educational campaign to help us acknowledge and manage the trail of breadcrumbs we are leaving online. Since the pandemic, where our computers turned into our classrooms, kids are being exposed to a greater digital risk--making it even more important to broaden the awareness about how to protect and secure our personal data.

Great activities to do during Data Privacy Week:

• Change your passwords, making them unique and not overused between websites. (I know! It's hard to remember them all!) This should be something you do every few months, as data leaks are not unique or novel.
• Broaden your awareness of which websites have your personal information.
• Know what your privacy settings are on your accounts--especially social media ones.
• Look into how companies collect and use their user data. 
• Read the Terms of Service & Privacy Agreements rather than rapidly scrolling through and accepting them blindly.
• Recognize that it is always better "to be safe than sorry"...especially online.
• Advocate for national laws that promote cyber security.
• Be vigilantly aware of the potentials for scams and phishing attempts.

To learn more about Data Privacy Week and to get ideas about how you can keep your information safe, check out: 

• National CyberSecurity Alliance's website and "How to Get Involved in Data Privacy Week 2023"
• National Today's Data Privacy Week information page.
• Common Sene Media's report: "Privacy Matters: Protecting Digital Privacy for Parents and Kids"

Lastly, as a way to wrap it up and musically make the importance of data privacy hit home, check out this Data Privacy Day rap created by MOSTLY AI.

 

Images from https://staysafeonline.org/resources/how-to-get-involved-in-data-privacy-week-2023/

and  https://nationaltoday.com/data-privacy-week/, video from https://youtu.be/FrIupjDossc